I am putting aside all work (this was in 1987 when I was
publishing and editing "The Truth of the Matter" magazine (which
I did for 7 years, 1987 to 1994) to answer the recent arguments
by Mr.William Dankenbring that we should be observing the day of
Pentecost on Sivan 6th with many of the Jews. Not ALL of
Dankenbring's arguments will be answered in this article, but the
foundational one will be. Others must wait for future writings.
Most of Mr. D's arguments are NOT new to me - I encountered most
of them some years ago in my in-depth study into the question of
WHEN the feast of Pentecost should be observed.
I will tell the reader and searcher for God 's truth on this
matter that the truth of the matter is not what W.D. wants you
to believe! I will tell you right up front - Dankenbring IS
IN TOTAL ERROR! This I tell you not out of some casual reading
of Mr.D's articles and some emotional reaction, but because I
have deeply studied the subject and can see at a glance where
William D. has jumped the track of sound research and study.
I am finding as I read more and more of Dankenbring's paper
"Prophecy Flash" a man much like his long time mentor Herbert W.
Armstrong. I am finding W.D. to be as vain and self glorifying as
HWA. I believe WFD thinks he is 100% correct in AIL that he
teaches - that God is dealing with him in some special way above
all other ministers of God, if he even believes there are any
other ministers of God besides himself. Well, now the time has
come for Mr. D to be stripped of his ostentatious, pretentious,
presumptuous, egotistic, grandiose and vainglorious put on.
First, let's hear from William D. as he writes about those
who would "judge" him:
PROPHECY FLASH
A Newsletter of insight and understanding of Biblical prophecy
for our time
Volume 2, Number 10 December 25, 1988
The Smoke Clears
Pentecost - the Truth Revealed
The time has come to answer the few remaining
questions a few people have regarding the right day to observe
the feast of Pentecost -- and to expose the fallacious errors of
those who stubbornly cling to error. Let's be HONEST with the
truth of GOD!
William F. Dankenbring
After reading my articles on Pentecost, several have written to
me expressing their thanks and gratitude for God's new revelation
of the truth. A few, however, have taken snipe shots at the
new truth God has revealed, and, their feet permanently planted
in concrete, refuse to budge on this vital issue of obedience to
the law of God. Some have even issued "personal attacks,"
not aimed at disproving the truth but attacks on me, and the
articles I have written. When they cannot face the truth, they
resort to the time-tested ploy of finding fault with the
messenger, or the wrapping, or other extraneous issues.
For shame! If God sent a messenger to you with a priceless gift,
wrapped in a plain brown wrapper, would you turn up your nose at
the package and discard it, simply because it came in a plain
brown wrapper, which you found offensive?
Personalities, and writing styles aside, shouldn't we focus on
the main issues, and not criticize extraneous subjects, such as
writing style, alleged "sensationalism," and "typographical
errors"? What would Jesus think if He were peering over your
shoulder, as you took "potshots" at His revealed truth, and
attacked it indirectly by criticizing the packaging material,
wrappings and its "price"?
Self-righteous people have always looked down their noses at
others, whom they wish to put down, by making vicious, spiteful
little "put downs," innuendoes, and derogatory, disparaging
comments about "personal" things --such as their dress, hair
style, shoes, the car they drive, mannerisms, etc. What is the
difference between that sort of behavior and attacking a sincere
servant of God by accusing him of charging for articles, too many
typographical errors, sensationalism, and going out on a limb?
Comment (Keith Hunt):
Now, Mr. Dankenbring, let it be known clearly by you and all who
read this article. I am not interested in how you dress, one
black shoe and one brown shoe - what hair style you have - what
car you have - or if you bite your nails, or fidget when you
speak. I could care less if you have too many typographical
errors in your paper, or if you are the world's poorest
speller, or if your sentence structure leaves something to be
desired. I am interested in your Biblical theology - what you are
teaching to others as the truth of God. For that(your teachings)
I will put you to the acid test. I will "judge" you Mr. D, but I
hope to do it as Jesus said, "Judge righteous judgment." I will
test you by the greatest test machine ever given to man, God's
Holy WORD!
I have never met you William D. I have never ever seen you. I do
not know what you look like - you could have one green eye and
one red eye for all I know about your looks. I do not know how
old you are or what kind of a voice you have. I have never heard
you speak.
None of the above matter to me. What you write and teach others
as the truth of the matter DOES MATTER TO ME! You write as if
everything that comes from your pen is God breathed and inspired
of the Lord, but I find you to be in total error on many things
that you claim is "God's revelation of the truth." Many people
are writing to me about the things you are teaching - many are
being led to believe you are correct although they admit they are
not very good at deep Bible research.
God has given to me the ability to do deep Bible study and find
the truth of the matter on those things that count, and COUNTING
Pentecost correctly does matter. It is time to reveal your errors
and set free those whom you would entangle with clever sounding
words.
Answer this Mr. D. Why do you publish so many letters that praise
you so? Is it not to continue to stoke and pamper your vain ego.
I do not mince my words with you WD - you are a pompous FALSE
PROPHET whose false teachings must be exposed for what they are -
HERESY!
THE TRUNK OF THE TREE ARGUMENT - Dankenbring writes:
People who are studying into the Pentecost question have asked me
for more information about the "sabbath" in Leviticus 23:15-18.
In my articles I mention that the word can also be translated
"week." Some have asked me for more proof, and clarification on
this point.
I appreciate their questions very much3 and will answer them as
best I can. I think you will find the answer very revealing and
even astonishing when you see how others have been tripped up and
have fallen on this very point. Much as king Saul fell on his
own sword, and was mortally wounded in the process, so some have
fallen on this one Hebrew word, and have mortally wounded
themselves in the resulting accident.
Notice. God tells Moses and the children of Israel. "And ye
shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the
day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven
sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the
seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days" (Lev. 23:15-18).
What about this word "sabbath" and "sabbaths"? In the Hebrew it
is the word shabbath. Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the
Old Testament defines this word as "to rest, to keep as a day of
rest (to sit down, or sit still); to cease, to desist, to leave
off; to celebrate the sabbath; the sabbath; and, perhaps a week,
like the Syrian and Greek (Matt.28:l) Lev.23:15; compare
Deut.16:9."
PROPHECY FLASH VOL.2, #10
Comment (Keith Hunt):
I want the reader to note very carefully here, Mr. D. MUST HAVE
YOU believe that the word "sabbath" in Lev.23:15-16 should be
understood as "WEEK." It is crucial - for WFD to himself
believe, and have YOU believe the Hebrew word for "sabbath" can
mean WEEK! If this theory can be shown to be in total error then
Dankenbring's argument for a Sivan 6th Pentecost FALLS LIKE A
HOUSE OF CARDS! His idea crumbles like a sand castle washed
away by the tide of the sea. All his other arguments are
WORTHLESS and USELESS if he cannot maintain the teaching that the
Hebrew word "sabbath" can also mean WEEK. And he must also
convince you that even if that Hebrew word could have a double
meaning (which I will prove to you that it does not) then it
aught to be translated in Lev.23:15-16 as "week" and not as
"sabbath", and that opinion could be up for grabs.
I shall now show you the truth of the matter regards this Hebrew
word. It is very clear to those who will search for it.
Dankenbring did not do his homework, and so he has fallen into
the very trap and snare he accuses others of falling into. It is
WFD who has fallen on the sword of king Saul and has mortally
wounded himself, and sad to say some others who have
been bewitched by his scholastic sounding words.
Remember - disprove Mr. D at this point and his foundation is as
quicksand and all the rest of his words are vain ramblings.
WFD quotes from GESENIUS' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the OT(Old
Testament) to give his readers the "proof" that the Hebrew word
for "sabbath" can mean also "week." I want the reader to note
carefully the wording of this Lexicon - it says, "perhaps a week,
like the Syrian and Greek....."
Did you catch it? Did you see it? It says, "PERHAPS a week...."
Perhaps is not definite, does not mean sure - perhaps does not
imply CERTAINTY! Perhaps means MAYBE!!
Perhaps means POSSIBLY it is so, but possibly it is NOT SO! Well
friends, I will show you that Gesenius' "perhaps" is WRONG,
and if Gesenius had been willing to spend a little more time and
effort in researching this Hebrew word as used in the OT he would
never have even entered his phrase "perhaps a week" in his
Lexicon.
I have written before about so called "scholars" of this or that
learning. I have told you not to be afraid of them - do not
tremble before them - do not think that they are infallible
little gods. Some may think they are the king-pin of the
Hollywood scholastic circle but in the word "infallible" is the
word "fall." I have told you before how "behind closed doors"
and sometimes not so closed, but in open magazines, these same
"scholars" verbally pull each other's hair, scratch each other's
eyes out, kick each other and punch one another as they disagree
among themselves.
Concerning this Hebrew word, remember it is HEBREW we are dealing
with - OT Hebrew at that and not modern Hebrew. What the Svrian
or Greek languages do is not the Hebrew. Do not get led off with
people clouding the issue at hand by leading you off into what
the Greek or Syrian may say about how they use their word for
"sabbath." It is the OT Hebrew that counts - the language that
Lev.23 was written in that will clear the smoke.
Now, let' s go to TWO other famous Lexicons - probably more
famous and better used than Gesenius', and we shall see what they
have to say about this Hebrew word for "sabbath."
STRONG'S CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE:
7673.....SHABATH.....a prim. root; to repose, i.e. desist from
exertion......cease.......
Strong gives NOT ONE WORD about this Hebrew word also meaning
"week."
THEOLOGICAL WORDBOOK OF THE OT:
Shabat cease, desist, rest...cessation...Sabbath...keep the
sabbath.....Sabbath observance......
The above work has much to say about this word, BUT NOWHERE does
it claim this word can also mean "week."
Not one word in this respected and popular Lexicon to say that
the Hebrew word for "sabbath" can also mean "week." I guess not!
The scholars writing in that work had done their homework well -
they knew that there was no justification WHATSOEVER for anyone
to teach or believe or theorize that this Hebrew word as used
throughout the OT can mean "week" or that it should be so
translated ANYWHERE in the OT as "week."
Sure, some Hebrew words have and are used in the OT with more
than one meaning or shade of meaning, that's why the scholars at
times argue among themselves as to how a word should be
translated. But with the Hebrew word in question there should be
NO argument, not even a "perhaps." Why am I so sure about this? I
will tell you and show you. By looking at EVERY PLACE in the OT
where a certain word is used - looking at the context it is used
in - will tell you if the word should be understood to have MORE
than one meaning, something like how we use the English word
"present." This English word can mean you are present with
someone at a dinner, or it can mean you received a present or
gift for your birthday.
There is a Bible concordance that gives you every Hebrew word in
the OT and EVERY PLACE it is used. It is called THE
ENGLISHMAN'S HEBREW-CHALDEE CONCORDANCE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.
On page 1235 of the above Englishman's Concordance EVERY place
where this Hebrew word "shabbath" is used in the OT is listed.
You can look up each verse and the context of the verse.
Then you can try putting the word "week" in place of the word
"sabbath" in any of those passages of Scripture and see if it
"fits" or makes any sense. I say IT DOES NOT!
Take Exodus 16:23, "the rest of the holy WEEK." The single ONE
day - the 7th day is here being spoken about as the holy rest day
to the Lord, not some holy "week."
Look at Exodus 16:26, "the seventh day which is the WEEK......"
No way! What about verse 29, "the Lord has given you the
WEEK....." How ridiculous!
Then take Exodus 20 and the fourth commandment and put in the
word "week" instead of "Sabbath" and see how silly it becomes.
"Remember the WEEK.....the WEEK of the Lord your God.....the Lord
blessed the WEEK day......"
Go to Leviticus 25:6 and do the same, "the WEEK of the land shall
be....." and so with Lev.26:43, "The land....shall enjoy her
WEEKS......"
Try the same thing with Deut.5:12, "Keep the WEEK day....." Go
to Isaiah 56 and 58 and do the same, "keeps the WEEK from
polluting it.....the eunuchs that keep my WEEKS....everyone that
keeps the WEEK.....turn away your foot from the WEEK.....call the
WEEK a delight....."
How about Jeremiah 17:21, "bear no burden on the WEEK day...."
and verse 22, "hallow you the WEEK day...."
THERE IS NOT ONE PLACE IN THE ENTIRE OT WHERE THE HEBREW WORD FOR
"SABBATH" SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD OR TRANSLATED ANY DIFFERENT THAN
WHAT IT MEANS - SABBATH, TO REPOSE, DESIST, CEASE, REST.
There is not one place in the OT where the Hebrew for "sabbath"
should not be understood as referring to a holy 24 hour day or a
holy one year rest for the land. Few would ever think of
translating this Hebrew word other than Sabbath in all passages
listed by the Englishman's Concordance, except in Lev.23:15,16
and that only to try to uphold their Sivan 6th Pentecost idea.
And there they must leave the natural and only meaning for this
word as shown by all other verses where this word is used in the
OT, and force a meaning into it - a meaning it never has anywhere
else - to say it means here in Lev.23:15 "WEEK." This is the
height of semantic folly.
It is then, no wonder that the well respected and famous
Lexicons of STRONG'S and THE THEOLOGICAL WORDBOOK never even
mentioned as a possibility, this Hebrew word could mean "week."
They knew that such an idea was completely unfounded by the
Scriptures and the use of this word in the OT. Why they never
entertained even the thought of a "perhaps" as did Gesenius.
Perhaps Gesenius was barking up the wrong tree - maybe the same
tree that Dankenbring has found himself barking at. They and many
Jews and others have put themselves on a limb that cannot stand
the weight of Scripture. God saw to it that ancient Biblical
Hebrew had a word for "sabbath" that never, EVER means "week."
And in so doing no confusion could arise in understanding
Lev.23:15,16. The small child could understand. The great feast
of FIRSTFRUITS or Pentecost, will always be on the day after the
7th - always on a SUNDAY or the first day.
DANKENBRING'S TRANSLATIONS. He writes:
Notice. In the verses in question, this word appears three times
-- "sabbath," "sabbaths," and "sabbath." Now take a look at how
different translators have rendered this word in their English
translations.
The New American Bible has it: "Beginning with the day after the
sabbath, the day on which you bring the wave-offering sheaf, you
shall count seven full WEEKS, and then on the day after the
seventh WEEK, the fiftieth day, you shall present the new cereal
offering to the Lord,"
How clear that shabbath can be translated "week," and the plural
form, "weeks.
Other evidence for this translation of "weeks" can be found in
many English versions of the Bible. The Modern Language Bible in
The Layman's Parallel Bible translates the word "sabbaths" in
Leviticus 23:15 as "week"
The Moffatt translation of the Bible also renders "sabbaths" as
"weeks" in Leviticus 23:15. So does the Revised Standard
Version. The Jerusalem Bible follows suit, and so does the
New English Bible and the Goodspeed translation. In addition,
the Good News Bible has "weeks," and Amplified Bible. The
Companion Bible points out that the "seven sabbaths" of verse 15
means "Seven weeks." It says to compare Matthew 28:1 and Luke
18:12, where in the Greek language "sabbath" also means "week."
At least four English translations render the words in the King
James Version ("sabbath," "sabbaths," "sabbath") as "sabbath,"
"WEEKS," "WEEK." They are The New American Bible. the Douay
Version. the Septuagint Version, and the Holy Scriptures (Jewish
version),
The Jewish Scriptures, in fact, have this crucial verse as
follows: "Seven WEEKS shall there be complete; even unto the
morrow after the seventh WEEK shall ye number fifty days...."
PROPHECY FLASH vol.2 #10
Comment (Keith Hunt):
Now, WFD brings out the TRANSLATIONS to give his idea some
substance. Ah, I begin to shake and tremble at such artillery -
why he even quotes from the JEWISH BIBLE! I say this of course
with tongue in cheek.
Dankenbring wants to quote translations - okay - I will also.
From the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (Children's Edition) we read,
"From the day after the SABBATH......count of seven full weeks.
Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh SABBATH, and
then....."
NEW KING JAMES VERSION, "And you shall count for yourselves from
the day after the SABBATH..... seven SABBATHS shall be
completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh
SABBATH then....."
AMPLIFIED BIBLE, "And you shall count from the day after the
Sabbath.....seven SABBATHS (seven full weeks) shall they be:
Counting fifty days to the day after the seventh SABBATH...."
THE HOLY BIBLE, LAMSA TRANSLATION, "seven SABBATHS shall be
complete: Even to the morrow after the seventh SABBATH you shall
count fifty days...."
NEW JERUSALEM BIBLE, "From the day after the SABBATH.......you
will count seven full weeks. You will count fifty days, to the
day after the seventh SABBATH....."
FENTON TRANSLATION, "You shall count for yourselves from the day
after the SABBATH.....seven SABBATHS. They must be complete.
Then after the seventh SABBATH you shall ......."
So if we want to argue from the point of TRANSLATIONS, I can
present as good a case for what I teach as WFD can for what he
wants to believe.
William D. quotes from the Bible published by the Jewish
Publication Society as proof that Sabbath in Lev. 23:15,16 should
be translated "week." Well, I will give you the famous
Hebrew-English translation of modern times by Jay P. Green ,Sr.
published in 4 volumes by the Hendrickson publishing company of
Peabody, MA.
" And you shall number to you from the day after the SABBATH
(#7676 in Strong's), from the day you bring in the sheaf of the
wave offering seven SABBATHS (#7676 in Strong's) perfect they
shall be, to the day after the SABBATH (#7676) seventh you shall
number fifty days......."
Why do we have the Jewish Publication Society rendering
Lev.23:15,16 the way they do when all internal Bible evidence is
against such a rendering of the Hebrew word for Sabbath as
"week"? Very simple. The body of Jews who observe the feast of
Pentecost on Sivan 6th (and there are by the way many Jews who do
not) are the followers of Pharisee theological interpretations.
At the time of Christ the Sadducees disagreed with the Pharisees
as to when to observe Pentecost. The Sadducees understood
Lev.23:15,16 correctly and said Pentecost is always on a Sunday,
the Pharisees said no, it should he observed on Sivan(3rd
month)6th. After the fall of the Temple and Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
the Pharisee teaching and theology gradually took over the main
populous of Jews. That main populous of Jews publish books,
one of which is their rendition of the Old Testament.
So in line with their handed down idea of keeping Pentecost on
Sivan 6th they have to translate the Hebrew word for Sabbath in
Lev.23:15 as "week." They count 50 days from the first annual
sabbath day of the Days of Unleavened Bread. It always comes out
to Sivan 6th.
All the feast days in Lev.23 God gives a calendar date to, all
EXCEPT Pentecost! It would have been very easy for the Eternal
to have said, "On the 6th day of the third month you shall have a
holy convocation......" But He did not! Why? Because it is the
only feast day that must be COUNTED each year. While it falls
always on the FIRST day of the week, as the FIRSTFRUITS feast, it
does not always have the same calendar date each year.
DANKENBRING'S INTERNAL EVIDENCE. He writes:
Internal Bible Evidence
Not only do we have the testimony of Biblical Scholars and
translators that "sabbath" can be translated "week," and
"sabbaths" can be translated "weeks," but we have internal Bible
evidence as well........
Notice.' In Deuteronomy 16:9 God commands us, "SEVEN WEEKS
shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the SEVEN WEEKS
from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.
And thou shalt keep the FEAST OF WEEKS unto the Lord thy God .
....." (Deut.16:9-10).
Here the word for "weeks" is the Hebrew shabua. This Scripture
is an exact parallel with Leviticus 23:15-16. Thus we see that
"sabbaths" and "weeks" are clearly and obviously interchangeable
in this context.
Thus we have the testimony of scholars; the testimony of Bible
translations into English; the testimony of the Septuagint
version, translated into Greek about 250 years before Christ; and
the testimony of the Holy Scriptures themselves! What more
"proof" do we need?
PROPHECY FLASH vol.2 #10
Comment (Keith Hunt):
WFD says Deut.16:9-1O is an "exact parallel with Lev.23:15-16."
In so thinking he then finds it quite easy to think the two
Hebrew words used in these passages are interchangeable.
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!
What these two passages are giving us is two different ways to
COUNT to Pentecost! Both ways must come out to the SAME day. God
is giving us a double test to make sure we get the correct day
for Pentecost. Both passages start the counting from the day of
the WAVE SHEAF.
The charts I give at the end show the wrong ways to count to
Pentecost when we take both sections of scripture in hand and
also the right and ONLY way that Pentecost can be counted
to harmonize these two passages of Lev. and Deut.
Now, to prove the Hebrew word for "week/s" is totally different
and separate from the Hebrew word for "sabbath" and that the two
words are NEVER EVER interchangeable in the OT Hebrew. The Hebrew
for sabbath NEVER means "week" and the Hebrew for week NEVER
means "sabbath."
ONCE MORE LOOK AT STRONG'S CONCORDANCE:
Notice what is written about the words under the numbers 7620 and
7651 - shabua and sheba/shibah.
THE THEOLOGICAL WORDBOOK OF THE OT, on pages 898 and 899, have a
long and details study article on the Hebrew OT words used for
seventh, seventy, sevenfold, seven times, and the Hebrew word
"shabua." This word appears just 20 times in the OT. The
ENGLISHMAN'S CONCORDANCE TO THE OT lists every one of these
twenty times.
THERE IS NOT ONE WORDS FROM THESE WELL RESPECTED LEXICONS OF THE
HEBREW WORDS OF THE OT, TO EVEN HINT AT THE IDEA THAT THE WORD
FOR "WEEK/S" ALSO MEANS "SABBATH." WHY? SIMPLY BECAUSE THOSE
SCHOLARS OF THE ABOVE WORKS HAD DONE THEIR HOMEWORK WELL, AND
KNEW THE WORD FOR WEEK WAS NOT THE SAME AS FOR SABBATH.
In all the places where this Hebrew word is used (as listed by
the Englishman's Concordance) NOT ONCE should we ever think of
translating it as "sabbath." The CONTEXT of each passage gives
the CLEAR teaching of 7 - yes SEVEN, not sabbath.
Number 7651 in Strong's is used dozens of times, but it never
means "sabbath."
So, what do we find upon deep research? The ancient OT Hebrew
had ONLY ONE WORD for "sabbath" which never at any time as used
in the OT means "week." We find a DIFFERENT word used in the OT
Hebrew for our word "week" which never means "sabbath."
These words are NOT, let me repeat, not, interchangeable!
DANKENBRING, STILL GOT SMOKE IN HIS EYES, he writes:
Unfortunately, those who will refuse to admit the truth about
this word, will sometimes stoop to subterfuge and artful
deception to attempt to "win" their argument. One such pseudo-
scholar claims that since Leviticus 23:15 uses the word
"shabbath" and Deuteronomy 16:9 uses the word "shabua," for
"week," this itself "PROVES" -- at least to his brain -- that
"sabbath" must always refer to the "sabbath" day. Otherwise, it
would be too confusing for his poor mind -- imagine, a God who
uses two words, both sometimes meaning "week," but one sometimes
also meaning "sabbath"! His poor deluded mind will not admit of
such a possibility, although all linguists know that many words
can have several different definitions, depending on the context.
This fact is true of Hebrew, Greek, English, and virtually all
major languages on our planet!
In English, the word "saw" can refer to seeing with the eyes, a
tool for cutting wood, or an ancient wise saying or proverb.
Many English teachers have used the expression, "What's that in
the road ahead?" and turned it around, to say, with a slight
change in punctuation, "What's that in the road, a head?"
The fact that the word "sabbath" in Hebrew can also be translated
"week," even as the corresponding Greek and Syrian words can,
should not surprise us in the least. What surprises me is that
some so-called Bible "scholars" with an axe to grind, will stoop
to claim "sabbath" cannot refer to "week" because "shabua" means
"week"! How absurd!
Who are they to attempt to tell God what words He can and cannot
use? Who are they to assert that the Bible does not interpret
the Bible, and that Deut.16:9 cannot therefore be used to
"interpret" Leviticus 23:15?
But, as Paul wrote, "We are not as many, which CORRUPT the word
of God, but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God
speak we in Christ" (II Cor.2:17).
Paul admonishes every one of us, "Study to shew thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY
DIVIDING the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings"
(II Tim.2:15).
PROPHECY FLASH vol.2 #10
Comment (Keith Hunt):
I realize that WFD will still not be able to see the error of his
way, even after all the clear painstaking Biblical evidence I
have presented, but will probably maintain it is I that have the
smoke in my eyes. Well, Mr. D may not want to see through the
smoke but you the reader can, if you will, and want to study to
show yourself approved unto God.
There is no need to admit as WFD would want you to that God used
two words, both sometimes meaning "week"- but one sometimes also
meaning "sabbath." For it is JUST NOT SO!
God used one word in Lev.23:15,16 that only EVER means "sabbath"
as clearly shown by how it is used throughout the OT, and never
at ANY TIME in the OT means "week." God used in Deut.16:9 a
Hebrew word that means "week/s" and never means "sabbath."
The Lord chose TWO DIFFERENT and NONE INTERCHANGEABLE words with
TWO different ways to COUNT to Pentecost (Lev. and Deut.) - both
coming out or ending on the SAME DAY of the week - the FIRST DAY
or Sunday! What could be as natural as the feast of FIRSTFRUITS
being represented by and taking place or observed on the FIRST
DAY of the week? I submit to you it is natural and also logical.
It is so simple, a child can figure it out! As God uses the word
that only means Sabbath in Lev.23:15,16 the day after the 7th
sabbath (which must be 7x7 = 49 days according to Deut.l6:9) MUST
ALWAYS BE A SUNDAY! To have the counting starting from the wave
sheaf day on any other day than the day after the weekly Sabbath
during the feast of Unleavened Bread would NOT COME OUT to a
Sunday, 50 days later.
Duet.16:9 tells us to count in WEEKS or 7 x 7 days from the same
wave sheaf day. Lev.23 tells us to count in SABBATHS (but still
having 49 days) while Deut.16 tells us to count in 7 weeks of 7
days to a week. For both methods of counting to stay together
and have 7 sabbaths with 49 days and the 50th day to be after the
7th sabbath, there is only ONE way.
The wave sheaf day had to be the day after the weekly sabbath
during the feast of Unleavened Bread. Counting 7 sabbaths and 7
x 7 day weeks from that day brings you to 49 days and a weekly
sabbath day, then the next day - Sunday - the 50th day is
PENTECOST!!
Ah, so simple! The Sadducees of Jesus' day had no trouble at all
in understanding how to count to Pentecost. They kept it on a
Sunday!
The Pharisees were wrong in how to count to Pentecost - many of
their modern followers such as WFD and many Jews are just as
wrong today. As Jesus said, "Can the blind lead the blind, or
will they not both fall into the ditch."
The counting of Pentecost was to start with the Wave Sheaf day.
The wave sheaf was a type of Christ. Jesus was the real WAVE
SHEAF, the FIRST of the FIRSTFRUITS (1 Cor.15). The wave sheaf
was cut and presented to the priest to be waved before the Lord,
as part of the Temple ceremony on that day after the Sabbath.
Jesus fulfilled all those types. When did He as the real wave
sheaf present Himself to the God the Father to be accepted? Why,
it was on the 1st day of the week - Sunday - after 3 days and 3
nights in the grave - the Sunday after the weekly Sabbath during
the feast of Unleavened Bread. That is clearly how the four
Gospels relate the facts to us. So it was the OT wave sheaf was
waved before the Lord, presented before God, on that first day of
the week, and from that day 7 Sabbaths and 49 days were counted
to a weekly Sabbath, after which was the 50th day or Pentecost -
a first day of the week - a Sunday.
WRONG WAYS TO COUNT TO PENTECOST:
For our illustration we shall say the first Holy day of the feast
of Unleavened Bread (the 15th day of the first month) is a
THURSDAY.
Counting from that Thursday Sabbath and going forward counting
six more Sabbaths (the third one being the last day of UB, which
in our illustration would fall on a Wednesday), would indeed
bring us to the 7th Sabbath on a weekly Sabbath day.
This way understands the correct way to read Lev.23:15,16 -
counting 7 holy day Sabbaths but fails to take into account the
instruction God gave in Deut.16:9 that there must be 7
"weeks" or 7 x 7 days = 49 days and then the 50th day is
Pentecost. Count the number of days from the first Sabbath of the
feast of Unleavened Bread (we said it would be a Thursday in our
above example) - it is only a total of 31 days to the 7th Sabbath
- the 32nd day would then be Pentecost.
This counting is incorrect!
Thur Sab/ Fri/ Sat Sab/. . . Wed Sab . . Sat . . . . . . Sat . .
UB feast begins for seven days
. . . . Sat . . . . . . Sat
7 Sabbaths if we started with the first annual Sabbath of
UB(seven Sabbaths but only 31 days). No religious group has ever
counted to Pentecost this way.
Incorrect counting as Deut.16:9 is not taken into account
Second incorrect way to count to Pentecost:
Putting the wave sheaf on Nisan 16th and counting 7 x 7 or 49
days as instructed in Deut. 16:9 brings the 50th day or Pentecost
to the Jewish calendar date of Sivan(third month) 6th. This
counting takes Deut.16:9 as literal 7 weeks (7 x 7 days) but
refuses to understand Lev.23:15,16 as literal 7 holy 24 hour
Sabbath days - refuses to understand the word "sabbath" as
meaning what it means in every other verse where it is used
throughout the OT. This counting as done by the old Pharisees,
their modern followers in Jewry, Dankenbring and some others, is
also incorrect!
Thur/Friday 16th/ Sat
1st day 2nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15th day of the first month that begins the UB feast we are
putting on a Thursday for our illustration, and the counting
begins the day after or Friday the 16th day of the first
month(Abib or Nisan).
Each dot represents a day. We have 49 days or 7 x 7 but we will
always come out to the 6th day of the 3rd month in the Jewish
calendar.
By taking our example with a Jewish calendar you will see that
the 49 days does have 7 sabbaths, but the 50th day of Pentecost
will not be immediately after a Sabbath. It will always
be the 6th day of the 3rd month.
God could have easily said in Lev.23 that the feast of
Firstfruits would be the 6th day of the 3rd month, as all the
other feast days were given calendar dates, but Pentecost was not
given a calendar date, because it had to be counted each year.
This way to count was the Pharisee teaching.
The above way to count to Pentecost is also incorrect.
THE CORRECT WAY TO COUNT TO PENTECOST
Thur Nisan 15th/Fri/Sat/Sunday Wave Sheaf . . . . . Sat . . . . .
UB feast begins for seven days
. Sat . . . . . . Sat . . . . . . Sat . . . . . . Sat . . . . . .
Sat . . . . . . Saturday(7th Sabbath) 49th day and 7th Sabbath
from WS(wave sheaf) day and the next day is the 50th day which is
PENTECOST - First day of the week or a Sunday.
This way to count to Pentecost has the wave sheaf presented to
the Lord on the day after the Sabbath - weekly - during the feast
of UB. This way takes as literal the instruction in Deut.16:9 to
count 7 weeks (7 x 7 days = 49 days) as well as the literal
understanding of Lev.23:15,16, to count 7 Sabbaths (days of rest
as used in the entire OT) and the day following the 7th Sabbath
is Pentecost or the feast of Firstfruits.
This is the only true and correct way to count to Pentecost.
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